LinkedIn

What Are LinkedIn Limits and How Can They Affect Your Professional Growth?

lemlist team
LAST UPDATED
July 23, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

Don’t let LinkedIn put a limit on your growth. 

Did you reach LinkedIn’s weekly limit on connection invites or messages? The social platform also has specific limits on the number of connections, sent InMails, message requests, and LinkedIn profile visits. 

So, what are LinkedIn's limits, and how can you go around them?

What are LinkedIn’s limits?

Here are the limits that might impact your account:

LinkedIn Feature Limit
Connections requests Between 100 and 200 per week.
DMs 50/day
LinkedIn profile visits 30/day or 150/day for LinkedIn Premium
InMails 25/day
Open InMails 200/week
Message requests 400/week
1st degree connections 30,000

Why do LinkedIn Limits Matter?

At first glance, limits might seem like barriers to success, but they are, in fact, LinkedIn's way of encouraging meaningful interactions.

Here's why they are important:

  • They maintain the platform's professional integrity by deterring spam.
  • Limits encourage you to be selective and strategic with your outreach.
  • Understanding limits can lead to more efficient networking practices.

But how can you get around LinkedIn's limits?

1. Improve your LinkedIn strategy

With the proper knowledge and tactics, you can strategically expand your network, engage with peers, and ultimately catalyze your professional advancement.

Optimize your profile

An important strategy on LinkedIn is keeping your profile as complete as possible.

When your prospects receive your messages or requests, they’ll be more likely to reply if they see a picture, information about you, post about your work, interests and knowledge, etc.

This is an imperative strategy because it will help you cut down on connection requests and follow-ups.

If you use a picture of yourself, do not upload a selfie. The picture needs to prove your professionalism.

You’ll also need a compelling and brief headline, a good banner, and an about section so your prospects instantly know who they will engage with.  

Engage first

Sometimes, sending cold messages left and right may not be the best solution to keep within LinkedIn's limits.

So, engaging with your prospects before you send a message or a connection request is a good idea.

This can be done by commenting on posts, whether these are your prospects' or even those by industry experts. If someone scrolls through the comment section, they will see your comment and your insights, and when you do reach out, you'll no longer be a complete stranger.

For example, in this post, M engaged with several people who gave her their opinions (and praise) in the comment section.

If they were to contact her later on, she'd be much more inclined to reply as there's already a sense of "trust."

Be organized

Take time every week to plan what your “LinkedIn week” will look like.

When will you be posting?
How many messages do you want to send out daily?
Who are these messages going to?
How many connection requests do you want to send daily?

This strategy will help you follow a schedule and not be overwhelmed.

You are much more likely to go over your limits if you take each day as it comes.

With lemlist. you can set up your schedules directly from our app and more effectively manage your cold messaging.

Use LinkedIn's 'Follow' feature

You can also stay connected with your prospects by hitting the “Follow” button. You can build a connection without bombarding with connection requests.

This allows you to:

  • Stay updated with their posts and articles without a direct connection.
  • Grow your network subtly by engaging with their content, which can lead to organic connections over time.
  • Expand your influence and reach on the platform without impacting your connection limit.

Following influential people in your industry can strategically grow your network without adding to your connection count.

2. Bypass LinkedIn connection limits

LinkedIn limits the number of connection requests you can send weekly, reinforcing the need for quality over quantity.

Current weekly connection request limit

As of now, LinkedIn allows users to send a limited number of connection requests each week.

This number may vary based on several factors, including your account's activity and acceptance rates, although it is between 100 and 200.

It's designed to encourage thoughtful networking and discourage spamming users with requests.

Send personalized connection requests to improve acceptance rate

Personalization is key to maximizing the impact of your requests with the LinkedIn Connect limit.

Here's how to send impactful invitations:

  • Reference a mutual interest or connection to establish common ground.
  • Compliment a recent accomplishment or article they've shared.
  • Be clear about why you want to connect and how it can be mutually beneficial.

Personalized messages significantly increase the likelihood of your request being accepted, thus improving your acceptance rate and maximizing connection opportunity.

We value quality over quantity, so take a look at our 10 examples and templates for sending your prospect connection requests!

3. Get around LinkedIn profile view limits

LinkedIn's profile views can be a powerful indicator of your professional visibility and brand reach.

However, there are daily limits based on your LinkedIn account tier, and it's important to use them strategically to optimize your growth.

Profile view daily limits based on LinkedIn account tiers

With the LinkedIn Basic account, you’ll be able to see your 5 most recent viewers for the past 90 days.

You’ll see their profile, jobs, and where they found your profile, .

Whereas with a Premium account, you can see a full list of viewers, trends, and insights from last year.

Knowing your tier's limit helps you to plan your engagement accordingly.

On the other side of the spectrum, with your LinkedIn free account, you can view 500 profiles a day and up to 2,000 with Sales Navigator.

How to leverage profile view data without triggering limits

Profile view data can be leveraged to understand who's interested in your profile and to initiate meaningful outreach.

To do this without hitting the limit, consider the following:

  • Regularly check your profile views within the provided limit to gather insights.
  • Use the data to inform your content strategy, ensuring it aligns with the interests of those viewing your profile.
  • Engage with viewers by visiting their profiles and finding mutual areas of interest, which can lead to more organic connections.

By strategically leveraging this data, you can enhance your visibility and value within the LinkedIn community without exceeding the limit.

Balance active LinkedIn profile engagement and avoid excessive outreach

While engaging with profile viewers is beneficial, it's important to balance your activity to avoid being perceived as overly aggressive, which could lead to restrictions. Here are some tips:

  • Space out your engagement activities to stay within LinkedIn's daily limit on profile views and actions.
  • Focus on quality interactions over quantity to build meaningful connections.
  • Monitor your outreach efforts to ensure they align with LinkedIn's best practices and don't trigger any limits.

Maintaining this balance is key to a sustainable and strategic approach to LinkedIn networking, ensuring you can continue to grow your professional presence effectively.

You can include LinkedIn in your multichannel outreach schedule with lemlist; here’s how ⬇️

4. Manage LinkedIn's connection limits

Expanding your professional network on LinkedIn is vital for career growth, but it's important to be aware of the platform's connection limits.

Adhering to these restrictions keeps your account in good standing but also encourages the cultivation of a high-quality network.

Concept of LinkedIn connections cap

LinkedIn imposes a cap on the total number of connections you can have, which currently stands at 30,000. To manage your network effectively within this cap:

  • Focus on connecting with individuals who add value to your professional life and vice versa.
  • Regularly review your connections to ensure they remain relevant to your career goals.
  • Consider the quality of each connection over the sheer number, as more meaningful relationships can lead to greater opportunities.

By implementing these strategies, you can maintain a robust and relevant network that supports your professional objectives within the LinkedIn connections limit.

Update your LinkedIn connections

Over time, some connections may become less relevant to your career path. Pruning your network can help maintain its quality. To do this:

  • Assess your connections regularly and disconnect from those who no longer align with your professional direction.
  • Keep your network dynamic and tailored to your current and future career needs.
  • Remember that a more targeted network can lead to more meaningful engagement and opportunities.

5. Craft LinkedIn messages effectively

With LinkedIn's messaging limits, it's essential to ensure each message is impactful and adheres to the platform's guidelines.

Write impactful LinkedIn messages

To write messages that get noticed and don't get flagged for spam, follow these tips:

  • Personalize each message to the recipient's interests or professional background.
  • Keep your messages concise and to the point, focusing on the value you're offering.
  • Avoid using overly promotional language that might trigger LinkedIn's spam filters.

By crafting messages that are genuine and relevant, you increase the chances of engaging with your connections and staying within the send limit.

If you need some more help to craft compelling messages, check out this video to see the 5 best cold messages! ⬇️

Efficient use of audience segmentation within messaging limits

Segmenting your audience allows you to tailor your messages to specific groups, ensuring relevance and respect for your messaging limit.

Tools like LinkedIn's Sales Navigator can help you segment your contacts for targeted communication.

By understanding your audience and using segmentation, you can send messages that resonate, fostering stronger relationships and maximizing the impact of your LinkedIn account.

6. Make Use of LinkedIn tools

While connection requests are a fundamental part of LinkedIn networking, the platform offers tools designed to enhance your professional outreach beyond just making connections.

These tools can help you strategically manage LinkedIn limits and expand your influence.

Sales Navigator and other LinkedIn features

Sales Navigator is a powerful LinkedIn feature that allows for advanced search capabilities, personalized algorithms, and insights into your network.

To make the most of Sales Navigator:

  • Use its advanced search filters to identify and target the right prospects or partners.
  • Take advantage of lead recommendations and save lists to track potential connections.
  • Engage with insights and alerts about your saved leads to maintain relevance and timely communication.

By integrating Sales Navigator into your LinkedIn strategy, you can build a more targeted and effective network within the connection request parameters.

Alternative strategies

Numerous strategies on LinkedIn can help you grow your professional presence without relying solely on connection requests, such as:

  • Engaging with content by liking, commenting, and sharing can increase your visibility and organically attract connections.
  • Create and publish original content to demonstrate your expertise and thought leadership.
    Check out this video to learn how to become a LinkedIn lead magnet with your posts! ⬇️
  • Use LinkedIn's search functionality to find and join industry-specific groups where you can network and share ideas.

How to prevent exceeding LinkedIn limits

Nearing your LinkedIn limits can be a sign of active engagement, but it's important to be careful so you can avoid temporary restrictions on your account.

Recognize signs of nearing LinkedIn connection limits

LinkedIn provides notifications as you approach your connection request limit.

Keep an eye on these alerts to adjust your networking strategy accordingly. Regularly reviewing your sent invitations and their status can also help you stay within limits.

By keeping to a schedule, you can also be aware of how many connection requests you have sent out so you can adjust accordingly.

How to free your account from temporary restrictions

If you've been too enthusiastic and hit a LinkedIn limit, don't worry—there are steps you can take:

  • Withdraw pending connection requests that are over a week old.
  • Review LinkedIn's guidelines to ensure future compliance.
  • Contact LinkedIn support to discuss the restrictions on your account.

By taking these actions, you can help free your account from limitations and continue to engage with your network.

Practical insights & strategies

To be able to use LinkedIn effectively you need to understand its limits.

The first step is to be aware of the specific limits imposed by LinkedIn. These include:

  • Connection requests: The number of invitations you can send in a week. (100-200 per week)
  • Messages: The volume of messages sent to non-connections, depending on your account type. (100-150 per week)
  • Profile views: The number of profiles you can browse through daily without triggering a warning or restriction. (80-150 per week)

By staying informed about these restrictions, you can plan your activities on LinkedIn more strategically and avoid being penalized.

Key Takeaways

-> Emphasize quality over quantity in all LinkedIn engagements.

-> The first step to expanding your LinkedIn network is to optimize your profile.

-> Personalized connection requests, thoughtfully crafted messages, and meaningful interactions are the pillars of a robust LinkedIn strategy that respects the platform's limits.

-> Maintain real, genuine connections so you can contribute to a network that's rich in value and opportunities.

-> Remember that LinkedIn's limits are not barriers but rather guidelines to encourage more strategic and meaningful networking.

LinkedIn can sometimes seem a bit daunting when there are too many open fronts. Which is why, at lemlist, we aim to make your outreach as simple as possible. Start your automated outreach today with our free trial!

lemlist team
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Price
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Standout feature
Con
4.9
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$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
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Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
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Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
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$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
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star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
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Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
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Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

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